POLY ROPE SAFETY

[Maria]

Here is what I have found out in my research about Poly Rope. There are two kinds; one is safe; one is not. Hope this is helpful.

The term "'Paulie' Rope" is used for the type of Poly Rope which is the safe kind for birds. Term devised from "Paulie wanna cracker?" It's just a name they gave it. This kind is PolyETHYLene.

The other NON-SAFE kind of poly rope is PolyPROPYLene.

SO READ YOUR LABELS, AS TO THE KIND IT'S MADE FROM.

Also, stay away from ropes sold in hardware stores, because oils are used on these for cutting processing.

Here are the differences in the two types of ropes, as far as bird safety:

Polypropylene:
Doesn't unravel, bird can get caught in it and tangles badly and tightly, to where it's hard to get off, and can cause injuries therefore (feet, toes). It's like nylon - not safe.

Polyethylene:
unravels, safe, tangle free, not harmful if swallowed, non-toxic, no unsafe lengths of fray, no memory like other rope. Prevents entrapment and limb strangulation caused by fibers such as nylon or polished cotton rope.

Also, safest metals I found out for birds are stainless steel or nickel, nickel plated.

Also, can use hole puncher in those thin craft/popcicle sticks !

[Maria]

and once I found out about this safety stuff, I'm glad, cause then I knew not to use the poly rope I'd bought from home depot!

[friend2parrots]

yes, this is definitely important.

also, a few months ago I bought a bunch of "natural" fiber rope from home depot (like sisal, cotton, etc) to make toys for my bird, and noticed they all had a kind of gasoline-ish odor to them. i think they were treated with chemicals. i decided not to make the toys out of them in the end, because i didnt know what that smell was. i also decided not to shop in home depot for rope material ever again. it was a reminder to keep a lookout for rope materials that specifically say, "untreated" or "organic."